Color spec
| Brand | Behr |
| Name | Essex Blue |
| SKU | S500-2 |
| Hex | #B2E4EC |
| RGB | 178, 228, 236 |
| HSL | 188°, 60%, 81% |
| LRV | 71 |
| Undertone | cool blue-green tone |
| Family | Teal |
About Behr Essex Blue
At LRV 71, Essex Blue is a light color that bounces daylight around a room without tipping into stark white. Its teal undertone is the part to watch: it gets picked up by whatever sits next to it, so test it against your trim, floor and the room's main light before committing. It holds its undertone in most exposures, which is what makes light shades like this so forgiving room to room.
Essex Blue is an easy whole-room color for living spaces and bedrooms, and light enough to carry onto trim or a ceiling if you want a soft, seamless look. Teals add character without shouting — good for a vanity, an island or a feature wall.
Closest matches by brand
12 brands within ΔE 5The closest matches per brand by ΔE2000, computed against each brand's full deck. Only colors within ΔE 5 (close enough to substitute on a wall) are shown — brands with no real match are left off. Tap any swatch for its full single-color spec; tap the brand title to browse all teal from that brand.
Sherwin-Williams
Benjamin Moore
Valspar
PPG / Glidden
Glidden
Dutch Boy
HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams
Dunn-Edwards
Diamond Vogel
Hirshfield's
C2 Paint
Kompozit
Similar Behr colors
closest in the Behr deckThe nearest shades to Essex Blue within Behr's own range, ranked by perceptual color distance — useful when you want the same look a touch lighter, darker, or warmer.
Coordinated palette
Generated by hue-rotating #B2E4EC in HSL space. Pair Essex Blue with one accent and one neutral — the swatches below are starting points, not final picks.
Accessibility (WCAG contrast)
WCAG 2.1: AA = 4.5:1 normal text · AA Large = 3:1 large text · AAA = 7:1 normal text.
Behr Essex Blue Equivalents at Other Brands
Matching Essex Blue from a different paint counter? Below is the single closest color in each major US deck and how close it really is. Remember that any paint store can also custom-tint Behr S500-2 directly — these equivalents are for when you'd rather stay inside one brand's own deck.
Sherwin-Williams Equivalent of Essex Blue
Sherwin-Williams's nearest match is Quench Blue (SW 6785), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.42). It runs slightly darker (LRV 69 vs 71) and carries a cool blue-green undertone, so it substitutes for Essex Blue without repainting risk. See the full Quench Blue swatch →
Benjamin Moore Equivalent of Essex Blue
Benjamin Moore's nearest match is Blue Seafoam (2056-60), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.12). It runs slightly darker (LRV 69 vs 71) and carries a cool blue-green undertone, so it substitutes for Essex Blue without repainting risk. See the full Blue Seafoam swatch →
Valspar Equivalent of Essex Blue
At Valspar, the closest color to Essex Blue is Out of the Blue (5004-9B) — very close at ΔE 2.45, though not an exact twin. It runs slightly darker (LRV 69.4 vs 71) and carries a cool blue-green undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Out of the Blue swatch →
PPG / Glidden Equivalent of Essex Blue
At PPG / Glidden, the closest color to Essex Blue is Seascape Green (PPG1233-4) — very close at ΔE 3.24, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 71 vs 71) and carries a cool blue-green undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Seascape Green swatch →
Glidden Equivalent of Essex Blue
At Glidden, the closest color to Essex Blue is Seascape Green (PPG1233-4) — very close at ΔE 3.24, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 71 vs 71) and carries a cool blue-green undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Seascape Green swatch →
Dutch Boy Equivalent of Essex Blue
Dutch Boy's nearest match is Aqueous Blue (134-3DB), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.91). It runs slightly darker (LRV 67 vs 71) and carries a cool blue-green undertone, so it substitutes for Essex Blue without repainting risk. See the full Aqueous Blue swatch →
HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams Equivalent of Essex Blue
HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams's nearest match is Solar Sail (HGSW 1357), visually identical in normal room light (ΔE 1.42). It runs slightly darker (LRV 69 vs 71) and carries a cool blue-green undertone, so it substitutes for Essex Blue without repainting risk. See the full Solar Sail swatch →
Dunn-Edwards Equivalent of Essex Blue
The closest Dunn-Edwards equivalent of Essex Blue is Winter Escape (DE5750). At ΔE 0.47 the two are indistinguishable on a wall — it carries the same cool blue-green undertone and runs slightly darker (LRV 67 vs 71). If Dunn-Edwards is your counter, order Winter Escape and you'll get the same color. See the full Winter Escape swatch →
Diamond Vogel Equivalent of Essex Blue
Diamond Vogel has no exact twin of Essex Blue. The nearest is Kyoto (0657) at ΔE 4.51 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It runs slightly lighter (LRV 73 vs 71). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Kyoto swatch →
Hirshfield's Equivalent of Essex Blue
At Hirshfield's, the closest color to Essex Blue is Kyoto (0657) — very close at ΔE 2.95, though not an exact twin. It runs slightly lighter (LRV 74 vs 71) and carries a cool blue-green undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Kyoto swatch →
C2 Paint Equivalent of Essex Blue
C2 Paint has no exact twin of Essex Blue. The nearest is Raindrop (C2-720) at ΔE 4.96 — close, but the difference shows next to trim and in side light. It runs slightly darker (LRV 68 vs 71). Compare large swatches before substituting. See the full Raindrop swatch →
Kompozit Equivalent of Essex Blue
At Kompozit, the closest color to Essex Blue is Kyoto (0657) — very close at ΔE 2.95, though not an exact twin. It sits at the same lightness (LRV 72 vs 71) and carries a cool blue-green undertone; sample both side by side if the room gets strong natural light. See the full Kyoto swatch →